M-64 (Michigan highway)
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Major junctions | ||||
South end | CTH-B near Presque Isle, WI | |||
North end | US 45 / M-38 in Ontonagon | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Michigan | |||
Counties | Gogebic, Ontonagon | |||
Highway system | ||||
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M-64 is a north–south
The M-64 designation was used on two other separate highways before it was used for the current highway. The first was at the other end of the state near the Ohio state line, and the second was on the Keweenaw Peninsula near Eagle Harbor. The current highway has carried the M-64 moniker since 1930, when it was assigned along two disconnected highways. These two parts were joined into a single corridor soon after. M-64 was one of the last highways in the state of Michigan to be paved in 1961. In the early part of the 21st century, the state replaced the bridge over the Ontonagon River and shifted the highway's northern terminus.
Route description
M-64 starts at the Wisconsin state line north of Presque Isle, Wisconsin, where it runs north as the continuation of CTH-;B into the state of Michigan. The trunkline runs through dense forests along the Presque Isle River in a rural area of Gogebic County;[4][5] this region is a part of the Ottawa National Forest.[6] As the highway enters the community of Marenisco, it follows Pine and Fair avenues through town. On the north side of Marenisco, M-64 turns easterly and runs concurrently with US 2 for about two miles (3.2 km) including a crossing of the Presque Isle River. East of town, M-64 separates from US 2 and turns northeasterly toward the southern end of Lake Gogebic. The road turns north along the western shore of the lake and provides access to Lake Gogebic State Park. About halfway along the lakeshore, the highway crosses into Ontonagon County and from the Central to the Eastern time zone.[4][5]
At
M-64 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like all other state trunkline highways. As a part of these responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the highway. In 2009, MDOT's surveys showed that the volume along M-64 was 3,333 vehicles daily, on average on the Ontonagon River Bridge; the lowest traffic was between US 2 and the Gogebic–Ontonagon county line at 418 vehicles per day.[8] The only segments of the trunkline that have been included on the National Highway System (NHS) are the US 2 and M-28 concurrencies.[9] The NHS is a network of roads important to the country's defense, economy and mobility.[10]
History
Previous designations
By July 1, 1919, the first roads to carry the M-64 designation were signed in the southern
Current highway
By 1927, a few roadways that are now part of M-64 were built and open to traffic. The road south of Marenisco was a county road at the time, and the highway between Silver City and Ontonagon was a part of the western segment of M-35.[15] By the beginning of 1930, a highway called M-129 was designated south of US 2 to the Wisconsin state line and north along Lake Gogebic.[14] By the end of the year, this road was renumbered as the southern section of M-64; the northern section of M-64 was the highway previously designated as the westernmost segment of M-35.[2][3] The gap between the two sections was filled in by 1932.[16][17]
Some curves in the roadway south of Marenisco were realigned, smoothing out the routing of the highway in late 1961. As this project was completed, the last segments of M-64 were fully paved, making the highway one of the last in the state to be fully hard-surfaced.[18][19][20]
The first bridge across the Ontonagon River was built in 1891. It was heavily damaged after a fire in the village a few years later. This bridge was deemed inadequate for the needs of traffic in Ontonagon in the 1930s. The
MDOT determined in the early part of the 21st century that the swing bridge had "operational problems".[21] Construction in 2006 replaced the span with a new structure and realigned both M-64 and M-38 in the village.[22] That October, the new bridge was opened upstream of the former crossing.[23] As a result, the northern terminus of M-64 is now at a junction with US 45 and M-38.[5]
Major intersections
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
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Gogebic | Marenisco Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | CTH-B south | Wisconsin state line crossing near Presque Isle, WI |
Marenisco | 9.596 | 15.443 | US 2 west – Ironwood | Western end of US 2 concurrency | |
Marenisco Township | 11.677 | 18.792 | US 2 east – Iron River | Eastern end of US 2 concurrency; M-64 turns north along the west shore of Lake Gogebic | |
LSCT west – Wakefield | Western end of M-28 and LSCT concurrencies | ||||
Bergland | 33.623 | 54.111 | M-28 east – Marquette | Eastern end of M-28 concurrency | |
Lake of the Clouds | |||||
LSCT east – Baraga | Northern terminus; roadway continues eastward as M-38 carrying the LSCT | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- Michigan Highways portal
References
- ^ a b Michigan Department of Transportation (2021). Next Generation PR Finder (Map). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ .
- ^ .
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e Google (March 29, 2011). "Overview Map of M-64" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-528-93981-5.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 2009). Michigan's Railroad System (PDF) (Map). Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2008). "Traffic Monitoring Information System". Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (April 23, 2006). National Highway System, Michigan (PDF) (Map). Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
- ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike & Adderly, Kevin (June 20, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- OCLC 15607244. Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1926). Official Highway Condition Map (Map). [c. 1:823,680]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department.
- .
- ^ .
- .
- OCLC 12701053.
- OCLC 12701053.
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center. (Includes all changes through July 1, 1961)
- . Retrieved October 17, 2019 – via Michigan History Center.
- .
- ^ a b Staff (June 18, 2007). "M-64–Ontonagon River". Historic Bridge Listing. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ "UP Road Work Projects Announced for Coming Year". St. Ignace News. March 9, 2006. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Office of Communications (October 10, 2006). "New Ontonagon River Bridge to Open Oct. 11" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
External links
- M-64 at Michigan Highways
- Ontonagon State Trunkline Changes 2006 at Michigan Highways
- Removal of Ontonagon River Swing Bridge